Electrical weft detector for looms



. Feb. 28, 1933. T. KERR ELECTRICAL WEFT DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Filed April 6, 1931 FIG. 4

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Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" THOMAS KERR, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, 015 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU:

SETTS ELECTRICAL WEFT DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Application filed April 6, 1931. Serial No. 527,981.

This invention relates to improvements in Weft detectors for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a detector of this type which shall depend upon presence of the shuttle in the shuttle box to complete an electric circuit and cause said detector to function.

The usual loom operates with shuttle boxes of which one side is usually defined by a movable shuttle engaging binder. This binder is ordinarily held in a shuttle checking position by a spring and is thrown out by the shuttle as the latter enters the box. The outward movement not only checksthe shuttle but also depresses the protection dagger so that the loom may continue to operate.

- It is an important object of my present invention to close the loom controlling clrcuit by the outward or shuttle checking movement of the binder.

It is another object of my invention to provide a detector'of the caliper type which is loweredinto the top of the shuttle by a cam controlled spring during the forward movement of the lay, the arrangement being such that as the lay starts on its backward movement the detector will be raised from the shuttle box prior to the picking of the shuttle.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my

invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing wherein a" convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a loom having my invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a Vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

mounted a box front 12 secured to the lay:

in any approved manner and defining the front wall of the shuttle box 13. The box have shown back 14 is provided with a slot 15 inwhich' moves horizontally the binder 16.- The latter may be made of wood if desired and is pivoted as at 17 to the lay. A binder spring 18 secured to thef-lay pushes the binder nor mally forwardly to hold the same in the position shown in Fig. 3.. Theshuttle S may be provided with a bobbin B having a supply of weft W which is depleted as weaving continues. V

The box back 14 has upstanding therefrom a bracket 20 having a bearing 21 through which extends a spring plunger orrod 22. The latter has a detecting headf23 whichis adapted for engagement with the weft at a spring 24 surrounds theupper part of the rod 22 and exerts a downward pressure on the collar 25 adjustably secured to the rod.

A stop 26 carried by the bracket 20' receives plates 33 as viewed in Fig.2. Each of said plates has the forward or left hand end thereof as viewed in Fig. 2 formed" with a downwardly and forwardly extending cam surface 34. The upper end of the plunger or rod 22 is provided with a cross head 35 which is positioned to riseover the cams 34"of the plates 33.' I I In operation, when thelay is in its rearward position the cross head 35 will be on the horizontal dwell portion .36 thereofso that'the head 23 will beheld above the path of' the shuttle, the spring '24 being compressed. As the laymoves forwardly the cross head will move downwardly along' the inclines 34 underaction ofspring 24 until the head on'the lower end of .the rod 22engages the weft. So long as a working supply point below the bearing21'." A compression 11 i of weft is present the collar 25 will beout of 540' trolled so that it can be in the shuttle a suffi- I "contact between the collar and the contact plate37. When this contact is established current will rise from the ground, pass through wire 42, collar 25, contact 37 wire 43 to a contact 44 secured tobox back. Under these conditions the binder will be in the position :shownin Fig. 1 and current may therefore-flow through a spring clip 45 secured to the binder and connected by wire 4:6 as shown in Fig. 2 to a source of electric power P,- wire 47 extending to an electromagnetic device M .which is connected by wire 48 tothe, ground. Current flowing in this circuit will energize the device M which for the purpose of the present invention may represent any one of several known devices forproducing a change in the operation of the loom. Such a change may be the replenishment of weft in arunning shuttle, an ex change of shuttles, or loom stoppage.

As the lay recedes the cross head Wlll be -movedforwardly to assume the dotted line 1 position shownin Fig. 2, thus withdrawing the detector, head 23 from the path of the shuttle. This latter action'takes place prior to picking;

:From the foregoing it willbe seen that I have provided an velectricalweft detector -employing an electric circuit which is dependent for'its closure upon the binder. It

will also be seen that the detector rod is concient length of timeto detect the weft but will be at all times out of the path of the shuttle when the latter is inmotion along the lay.

' Having thus described my invention it will,

be seen .thatchanges and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departingfromthe spirit and scope of the in'ventionand I ,do'not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim a 1: In a loom having a lay and a shuttle, a binder on the lay to be engageduand moved by the shuttle,'an electric binder contact to be closed by the binder, electrically actuated means to changethe operation of the loom, an electric weft detector for the shuttle,.and

" anelectric circuit toinclude the binder contact and the detector means,-theclosing of the circuit being dependent upon movement of thesbinder by. the shuttle;

fixed my signature.

closed by the binder, electrically actuated means to effect a change in the operation of the loom, an electric weft detector, and an electric circuit to include the binder contact and detector and dependent for closure upon a predetermined degree of exhaustion of the weft in the shuttle and movement of the bind er to a given position by the shuttle.

3. In a loom having a lay and a shuttle, a binder on the lay to be engaged and moved by the shuttle, electrically actuated means to ef feet a change in the operation of the loom, a circuit to include the means, a relatively fixed contact, and a second contact carried by and movable with the binder to engage the first contact to close the circuit.

t. In a loom having a lay and a shuttle, a binder on the lay to be engaged and moved by the shuttle, electrically actuated means to effect a change in theoperation of the loom, a circuit to include the means, and a pair of contacts in said circuit which are caused to have electrical contact by movement of the binder under influence of the shuttle. V

5. In an electrical weft detector .for a loom mounted on and movable vertically with respect to the lay and capable of engagement with the weft in the shuttle, means to lower u said detecting element when the lay is in its from the element','movement of the element to a predetermined position effecting elect-rt" cal engagement between the contacts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- H'oMAs KERR. 1

having a shuttle, a lay, a detecting element 

